Claritza Huezo and Felipe Marin following their wedding, which took place at the Barcelo Mayan Palace in the Mayan Riviera, MexicoNare Studios Photography

Claritza Huezo gets ready for her nuptials to Felipe Marin at a resort in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico.Nare Studios Photography

Guests gather for the wedding of Edmontonians Claritza Huezo and Felipe Marin at the Barcelo Mayan Palace in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico.Nare Studios Photography

The wedding rings of Claritza Huezo and Felipe Marin, who were married last summer in Mexico at the Barcelo Mayan Palace in the Mayan RivieraNare Studios Photography

Claritza Huezo and Felipe Marin share a quiet moment together following their wedding ceremony, which took place at the Barcelo Mayan Palace in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico.Nare Studios Photography

Claritza Huezo and Felipe Marin pose against the backdrop of a dramatic Mexican sunset following their wedding, which took place at the Barcelo Mayan Palace in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico.Nare Studios Photography

Claritza Huezo and Felipe Marin immerse themselves in a cenote in the Mayan Riviera as part of a trash-the-dress ceremony, the day after their wedding, which took place at the Barcelo Mayan Palace in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico.Nare Studios Photography

Claritza Huezo and Felipe Marin immerse themselves in a cenote in the Mayan Riviera as part of a trash-the-dress ceremony, the day after their wedding, which took place at the Barcelo Mayan Palace in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico.Nare Studios Photography

Related

EDMONTON - Revenge of the Nerds. She’s Out of My League. Clueless. Ten Things I Hate About You. In Hollywood, at least, the geek always gets the girl. Sometimes, it even happens in real life.

Seeing his now-wife Claritza Huezo for the first time 15 years ago was a movie moment Felipe Marin remembers as though it was yesterday.

He was 14. So was she. They went to separate high schools but both wound up at the same basketball tournament; she as a participant, he as a spectator.

He decided not to wear his prescription eye glasses that day, past experience having shown him they did nothing to complement his braces.

“I remember sitting in the bleachers with a friend,” he says, “and glancing at the door to the gym just as Claritza walked in. At that moment, time turned into a Hollywood scene where the nerd sees the hottest, most unattainable girl in school walk by in slow motion.”

Later, when a mutual friend informed him the mystery girl needed a quarter to call her dad for a ride home, he practically tripped over himself in his haste to help. She smiled her thanks when he placed the coin in her hand, then turned around and walked away and out of his life, forever.

Or so it seemed. A year later they ran into each other again at a hall party. By then, Felipe’s voice was starting to change and his braces were gone. He had also grown about a foot and a half. That’s how it seemed to Claritza, who heard the sound of his voice — or a facsimile of it, anyway — before she actually saw him.

“When I turned around, there he was,” she says, then laughs. “But this time I had to look up at him.”

And this time, he had no intention of letting her get away. Their relationship grew over the telephone, partly because she lived in Capilano and he lived in Mill Woods. Mostly, though, it was because they had strict parents who were never far away when the teens were in each other’s company.

They were sweethearts all through high school, and, in Claritza’s mind, at least, destined to be together forever. When it came time to graduate, though, he found himself at a crossroads, uncertain about his post-secondary future and what he wanted to do with his life. He decided to head to Chile for the summer.

“He didn’t want to have any commitments here in Edmonton,” recalls Claritza, “so we broke up. It was terrible. I thought my world was over.”

He did come back to Edmonton a few months later, and called her, hoping to pick up where they left off. She was still hurt. Plus, by then she had moved on, determined to find out who she was and what she wanted out of life. She travelled a lot, spent time helping her family at an orphanage in El Salvador.

Five years passed. Then one day “out of the blue,” an email from Felipe popped into her inbox.

She was shocked, but she was excited, too, and felt a familiar fluttering in her stomach.

They exchanged small-talk through email, each asking after the other’s family. Felipe casually mentioned he had tickets to a wine festival that evening, and asked her if she wanted to go. She said yes. When they met at the top of the stairs at the Shaw Conference Centre a few hours later, the rest of the world seemed to drop away.

“When I hugged him, I knew instantly we were going to be together,” she says. “We held each other for so long. Neither of us wanted to let go.”

That was in 2008 and by then they were adults, able to date without parental supervision. Truth to tell, their parents were thrilled to see them together again.

Felipe’s mother accompanied them on a flight to Chile three years later, ostensibly so Felipe could introduce Claritza to his extended family.

Unbeknownst to Claritza, Felipe was determined to introduce her as his fiancé, not just his girlfriend.

Minutes before they were supposed to land in Santiago, Felipe got up to go to the restroom. Minutes later, the pilot was on the intercom, extending a special greeting to the couple and directing Claritza to the back of the plane.

“I had no idea what was going on,” she says.

Once there, she found Felipe on one knee, ready to propose. She doesn’t remember exactly what he said, but she knows she said “yes,” and that the entire plane erupted in wild applause. His mom captured the moment on videotape for posterity.

“He gave me a heart attack in the air,” says Claritza.

The couple got married last summer in the Mayan Riviera in Mexico, at an all-inclusive resort. Their families flew from all over the world to be there, from Puerto Rico, Chile, New York, Florida, Montreal, Los Angeles, and, of course, Edmonton. There was live music during dinner, courtesy of a Spanish guitar player. Claritza and her bridesmaids performed a Zumba-inspired flash-mob dance during the reception, to the delight of the assembled guests.

It was, the couple agreed, an altogether perfect day.

Says Claritza: “We were truly blessed to have had so many loved ones attend the best day of our lives.”

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.